News 17:00

BULLETIN 8 September 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# Minister Nzimande stresses the importance of digital sovereignty and collaboration
# Gauteng’s Human Settlements Department allocates over five-billion-rand for housing development
# And rugby: The Currie Cup enters the play-off stage this weekend

# Science, Technology and Innovation minister Blade Nzimande says technology has far-reaching impacts, from the internet and smartphones to electric vehicles and artificial intelligence. Speaking at GovTech 2025 in Durban, Nzimande noted innovations like Wi-Fi and GPS stemmed from astronomy, stressing the importance of digital sovereignty and collaboration. While praising AI’s potential to solve global challenges, he called for South Africa to prioritise digital skills, sovereignty, and innovation:

# The Gauteng Department of Human Settlements has recognised that the housing backlog remains a pressing issue, with over 750-thousand approved beneficiaries still awaiting allocation. The department’s spokesperson, Tahir Sema, says over seven-thousand-200 RDP units were delivered in the last financial year. He says in the current financial year, five-billion-rand has been allocated for housing development:

Moving abroad:

# The International Criminal Court postponed until further notice a hearing on crimes against humanity against former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte, while judges weigh his fitness to take part. Duterte was scheduled to appear at the ICC on 23 September to hear the charges over his years-long campaign against drug users and dealers that rights groups say killed thousands. But the court decided to adjourn the hearing until it could decide on a defence motion that the 80-year-old was not fit to stand trial.

# Rugby: The Currie Cup enters the play-off stage this coming weekend after the last league matches were completed. The Lions topped the table, followed by Griquas, the Cheetahs and Boland Kavaliers, while the Pumas, the Bulls, defending champions the Sharks and Western Province’s campaigns have ended. On Saturday, the Lions will host Boland in Johannesburg in the first semifinal, followed by the second one in Kimberley between Griquas and the Cheetahs. The final will be played next Saturday.   

# The financial indicators: The dollar trades at 17-rand-52-cents and the euro at 20-rand-59-cents. One British pound costs 23-rand-74-cents and Bitcoin trades at 112-thousand-248-dollars. Gold sells at three-thousand-624-dollars-95-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 66-dollars-34-cents a barrel.

# And finally: The South African Church Defenders have voiced concern after Cultural, Religious And Linguistic Communities Rights Commission chair, Thoko Mkhwanazi-Xaluva, suggested that people who claim to hear from God should be referred to psychiatric care. Her remark have been condemned by religious groups as a dangerous denial of spiritual reality. Mkhwanazi-Xaluva defended her stance, citing the need to regulate religious practices to prevent abuse.

Stay tuned for more news………….